Breast Cancer Also Affects Men

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while all the pink we see on the players during NFL games in October mainly focuses our attention on how the disease affects women and what they can do about it, we should also keep in mind (or learn) that men, too, can contract breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, one in 1,000 men will fall victim to the disease, which claims the life of at least one man every day.

Medical experts say that, while it is important for men to receive routine checkups complete with breast-cancer screening tests, "It's important to know that men are still at lower but measurable risk for breast cancer," said Dr. Marisa Weiss, president of BreastCancer.org. "It's not insignificant."

Unfortunately, because of how breast cancer is viewed in our society—as a disease that targets women—male breast-cancer screenings are typically skipped over by many medical professionals due to the unlikelihood of there being cause for concern.

Still, many experts say that men need to take notice of the early warning signs of breast cancer, including lumps in the breast, armpit or collarbone region, along with nipple discharge and redness anywhere on the breast. The American Cancer Society also encourages men to openly discuss unusual developments in their breasts with their doctors.

Treatment and survival rates for breast cancer in men are comparable to that of women. For more information, you can visit here.